Greyscale
by Emily in Neverland
Summary: Nina St. Gabbon was once a promising Jedi Knight but when she was betrayed by the council she struck out on her own. Fighting the dark side as the Empire takes over and denouncing all things to do with the Force. Yet when a mysterious young girl enters her life Nina is forced to learn what it means to be a Grey Knight.
1. I

I

Everything was spinning. It was making me dizzy. My head throbbed with a hazy, lazy pain that was only barely outside my consciousness. I felt nausea that was much more perceivable through the potent cocktail of drugs in my system. I threw myself forward as I felt my stomach eject its contents. My vision was blurred and I could barely see the mess I had made on the floor.

" **NiNa. ArE yOu OkAy?** " I heard the monotonously robotic voice of the FX-7 medical droid outside the door. I felt my head loll in the direction of the door. Rolling the joints in my neck like a hinge that was tired of fighting gravity. I heard the droid playing with the door locks in an attempt to get into the washroom I had barricaded myself in. I even vaguely remember disabling the unlock feature on the door. I couldn't for the life of me remember why I had done that. I pushed myself back against the wall lifelessly. Everything whirled and twisted sickly around me.

I moved my arm off my lap and knocked over glass bottles. Bottles of the strongest alcohol I could find. One bottle tapped my cigarette pack. It was empty save for the lighter. Virtually of no more use to me. The door made a loud rumbling sound, signalling that FX had managed to disable the lock. Probably having to do so in a very roundabout way to reverse the disengage I had put on the lock.

" **WhAt HaVe YoU dOnE nOw?** " The droid chastised. Though I was so far away I couldn't really care less. The droid rolled up to me with several of its many arms extending. " **NiNa, ThEsE aRe HiGhLy IlLeGaL aNd DeAdLy. YoU sAiD yOu DiSpOsEd Of ThEm.** " I didn't care much for the accusing tone the hunk of metal was using with me.

"I lied." I snapped. Following that statement quickly was a fit of coughing that turned to dry heaving. My stomach still unhappy and very nauseous. This was the crash that came after the high. The pain in my head was becoming more intense as my vision was beginning to clear. I felt a few of the robotic limbs touching me and I batted them away. I didn't want to be helped. I wanted to feel the pain and misery as twisted as it sounded.

" **Do NoT mAkE mE rEsTrAiN yOu.** " FX said sternly. I scoffed. " **I wIlL sEdAtE yOu**."

"Didn't you plan on doing that anyway?" I snapped again. "You do usually."

" **YoU aLwAyS iNsIsT oN fIgHtInG mE.** " The droid snapped back.

"Then why do you always insist on helping me?" I growled.

" **BeCaUsE i CaNnOt AlLoW yOu To DiE tHiS wAy.** "

"As opposed to?"

FX had enough of my sarcastic disobedience as it rammed a needle into my side. I hissed at the pain but it, and everything else, quickly melted away and I was left unconscious.

I sat up from a dead sleep with a sudden inhale. I looked around the small sleeping area of my ship. It was quiet, dark and empty. I laid back with a small groan. I heaved myself out of the bed noticing I had been stripped of my pants, boots and jacket. Leaving me in my underwear and undershirt. No doubt FX's doing though why was beyond me. I'd passed out in my clothes before.

I didn't bother putting my clothes back on as I left the tiny room allotted for sleeping and recreation. As I stretched I saw FX idle in the corner opposite of the pilot's seat.

"You're a piece of shit you know that?" I said. Addressing the droid as I noticed the new bandages that were on my arm as well as where FX had hit me with the sedative. The droid woke with a mechanical whirring and it's LED sight screen lit up like a human opening their eyes.

" **AnD yOu ArE a CuNt.** " The FX replied. I was taken aback by this new advance in it's vocabulary.

"When'd you pick that bit of english up?" I asked.

" **I dOwNlOaDeD iT aNd SeVeRaL oThErS wHeN i ImPoRtEd A dIcTiOnAry.** "

"Huh." I acknowledged. I yawned and leaned back as far as I could. Hearing my spine crack. I fell into my seat as the pilot and hoisted my feet onto the console.

" **WhErE iS yOuR sTaSh, NiNa?** " FX asked as he rolled up beside me.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked. I pulled a fresh pack of cigarettes of of the underside pocket of my console. I usually kept at least three packs there. Taking the current one out I noticed it was the last one in there.

" **So I mAy DiSpOsE oF iTs CoNtEnTs.** " FX said honestly. I didn't think droids could lie. Luckily enough for me this one's AI wasn't so advanced it could learn how.

"That's why I'm not telling you." I answered. Putting the filter between my teeth and lighting the other end.

" **ThAt Is A fIrE hAzArD aNd DeTrImEnTaL tO yOuR hEaLtH.** "

"Yup. You are incredibly observant." I agreed. "This makes. What? The one thousandth time you've noticed this?" I took a drag while staring out at the vastness of space through the windshield. I was on the outskirts of any known civilized galaxy. On the very edge of the unknown where few explored and many dangers hid. Not for lack of trying, there were many explorers who tried to chart the blackout sections and uncharted star systems, There were few who returned to tell the tales however.

" **I aM tUrNiNg oN tHe VeNtIlAtIoN sYsTeM bEfOrE yOu SuCcUmB tO CO2 pOiSOnInG.** " FX said. Extending a metallic arm to tap keys on the console around my still extended legs.

"Blow me." I retorted. Blowing smoke with the next exhale. "If my behavior bothers you so much, why don't you just leave?"

" **We ArE iN dEaD sPaCe WiTh No EsCaPe PoDs. AnOtHeR hAzArD.** " FX responded. I rolled my eyes.

"We dock on industrialized planets. I'm sure whatever company made you would be happy to take your shiny metal ass back." I pointed out. When I found FX-7 I had been on a dump planet. A giant hunk of rock made mostly of garbage. I had been doing my best to distract myself from the burning hatred inside me and my feelings of complete and utter betrayal but that's neither here nor there.

I'd found FX-7 broken, in pieces and with no AI to speak of. Essentially stripped for scrap. With some hard work and long sleepless nights, I restored the droid to full working capacity and even enhanced the AI. The damned bucket of scrap had followed me ever since.

" **I cAnNoT aBaNdOn YoU. I aM pRoGrAmMeD tO pRoViDe MeDiCaL sErVicE tO aLl In NeEd.** " FX responded. Turning to face me. The air was hazy with the smoke and with a crash the vents kicked on and the air began to clear. I tapped the ash off on the ashtray that was embedded in my chair.

"I programmed you, remember?" I said giving the metal a gentle knock. Not so much to avoid hurting the droid as much as to avoid bruising my knuckles. "Are you saying you think I need you?"

" **WhAt YoU nEeD i CaNnOt PrOvIdE.** " FX said forebodingly. " **I cAn OnLy KeEp YoU aLiVe UnTiL wHaT yOu NeEd FiNdS yOu. ThUs In A wAy. YoU dO nEeD mE.** "

"Could you have found a longer explanation for your AI learning to feel affection?" I asked bluntly.

" **YeS.** "

I chuckled. I wasn't sure how FX's AI learned such mortal flaws such as affection and sarcasm but the nagging feeling in my gut said it was from me.

"Well despite the grief you give me and the nagging you always do. I think I can say it's mutual." I said good naturedly. I doubted I would ever say aloud I actually liked the medical droid that would question every decision I made. Or confess the amount I did care for the bot that routinely saved my ass from an overdose. I could recognize for a fact that I was a bitch to get along with and perhaps the droids lack of morality was what allowed him to take the abuse I routinely delivered.

I wasn't stupid. I knew I was… damaged. I knew I wouldn't be accepted back into society as I was. I was too broken. At least among the fringes of society were others who understood. There is a point of breaking that you can't reverse. Once you've been damaged as badly as I have there is nothing more that can be offered. You fall off the edge of the world, and into obscurity. I fell. Rejected. Cast out. Unwanted. Abandoned.

And I resented every single one of them for it.

We floated further among the dead space. With no direction or hurry to get wherever it was we were going. After a few hours of staring into nothingness and slipping slowly into madness I hauled myself into the washroom. I had to pause my plans and clean up the giant mess I had left. Not faulting FX for it as his mechanical arms were ill-equipped for cleaning and hopped into the shower. It was short, the hot water heater on my ship was not large nor well equipped enough to handle long showers. There would be bad days where I would linger in ice cold water staring at nothing until FX warned me about hypothermia from outside the shower.

Being made of electrical equipment FX would never enter the shower. It was safe from FX while on. Though I didn't doubt FX would retrieve me if I needed retrieving. I dried off in the washroom, throwing the towel and my used underwear into the laundry chute. It was more or less a vacuum tube that led to a small machine that would wash and dry my clothes when full. It would spit out a finished load into a basket that I would fetch, fold and put away.

I knew some ships had machines and droids that would fetch, fold, iron, mend and organize laundry but I didn't have such a luxury. Not in my beat up little starship. It barely had any room for living space. I had repurposed an old scouting vessel into more or less a traveling flat.

I walked out of the washroom naked, knowing no one on board was going to care. I grabbed the basket of laundry and dumped it on my bed and placed the basket back where it belonged. I rummaged through the clean clothes, debating whether or not it was worth putting them on or even away. I wasn't planning on company and the thought of being found by anyone this far out was laughable.

I ended up folding the clothes and putting them away before choosing a pair of boyshorts to pull on. I couldn't be bothered to make the bed and instead moved back to the pilot's chair and sat in it.

"FX. What's our supply count at?" I asked idly. Still peeved about having gone through two of my stashed packs of cigarettes. I knew that meant I was getting low on cigarettes.

" **We ArE aT 20% fUeL aNd 40% CoNsUmAbLe GoOdS.** " FX reported dutifully.

"Uh-huh… What about non-consumable goods?" I asked.

" **15%** "

"Uh-huh." I nodded. Looking out into space. I turned on the console and began looking through my map for a nearby inhabited planet to dock and resupply on. "FX print me out a shopping list." I lit a new cigarette and plotted out a course to a close industrialized planet for resupply. I turned on my autopilot and walked into my bedroom as the engines turned on and the ship began moving. I jumped forward a small step as the thrusters propelled forward. I opened the drawer and pulled out my clothes and slowly slid them on. In no real hurry as we still had a few hours before I would even see the planet.

I walked back to the pilot's seat and fell into it hard. Kicking my feet back upon the console. I picked up the half finished cigarette and relit it and finished it as I watched the stars in the distance. Watching for anything unexpected to arise. It was quiet. Not even FX was making noise. Just his hard drive buzzing lowly in the background. Signalling he was still mindful.

I wanted to get into my stash, I wanted to go under. However FX would find it firstly since he encoded himself to prevent my tampering with him ever since he discovered me redirecting his power supply and forcing him to shut down. Plus, with coordinates in and me on my way to a planet the last thing I needed was to be pulled over by authorities while out of it and receive a citation for being under the influence.

I leaned back in my chair with a sneer. In a pretty terrible mood and what's worse. I'd burned through my last pack of cigarettes. I slunk in my seat tossing the useless pack into the incinerator. Watching as the planet I was heading for was becoming slightly visible in the far off distance.


	2. II

Fuck small town rural ass planets. Getting clearance to land was just one of the many challenges that I faced. After getting a decent spot I was faced with a new problem. No transportation. This damn planet had no transports or even rental vehicles. I had to walk. With all the things I had to pick up. Fantastic.

FX had given me a list that I glanced over before shoving it into my pocket and heading for the nearest smoke shop. Fx didn't leave the ship often unless I was too fucked up to pick up the things he needed. Like medicines and chemicals. He didn't really trust me to pick up the sedatives he always had on hand. To which I don't blame him. If I knew what it was and where he got it he would never have a problem with me as I would sedate myself.

I waltzed into the smoke shop. The air inside it was foggy with smoke from some inhalant. It smelled like cinnamon which wasn't unpleasant. Though there was a very subtle scent of cigarettes and an even quieter scent of something I couldn't place but reeked. No doubt that was the scent they were trying to cover up with the cinnamon.

The creature behind the counter was bright orange with bloodshot eyes showing he was already sampling the goods. He had multiple limbs and horns like a ram from Greater Terra. A flat nose with gaping nostrils that flared when he breathed.

"Ma'am." He acknowledged to me. I nodded back.

"I need a box of Interstellar 57's." I said. The lack of breathable air making me slightly lightheaded. The creature brought a cigarette up and took a drag. The smoke lazily flowing out of his nose holes.

"Identification?" He asked. I pulled out my wallet and slapped my pilot's license on the counter. The man gave a gruff noise and picked it up. Inspecting it thoroughly. He nodded and threw it back on the counter and I put it back in my wallet and took out the cash to pay for my purchase. I always paid cash. Never had any attachments to banks or anything that needed to take my name.

The man looked me up and down one last time before walking off. I watched him shamble through a bead curtain that seemed to just come with every smoke shop building standard. He returned with a large crate and placed it on the counter with a thud. I watched as he cracked it open with a crowbar. I hadn't had any smokes in way too long. My mouth was getting dry and it tasted nasty. I was getting a headache from withdrawal and I was getting angry at how slow this man was going. Taking his damn sweet time. I was going to kill him.

He pulled a single carton from the crate and placed it in front of me. I looked at him both pissed and displeased.

"Is that what you call a box here?" I snapped.

"Smoking's bad for you, ma'am." He retorted with a smile. My gaze didn't shift.

"Do I look like I give a fuck? What the FUCK is this going to do for me?" I sneered. My heart rate was picking up and I felt restless. My body preparing for a brawl.

"Smokes will damage that pretty face." He smiled nastily at me. I lost it.

I grabbed this greasy sleazy bastard by the front of his dirty, grimey shirt and pulled him so close I could smell his sweat. It was a foul odor but I was too angry to care. I had my blaster in the next second up against his throat.

"I am giving you a chance to profit from my business but push me just a little farther and I'll just take what I want and leave you a bloody mess behind the desk." I said lowly. "Just Fucking Try Me." The bloodshot of his eyes was gone in a mere three blinks and he looked at me with a new fear.

"A box right?" He said fearfully. I nodded and slowly released him. I holstered my concealed blaster. I watched him intensely as he shakily went back to the crate and fetched the opened box and placed it on the counter. He took the carton and put it back in place and rang it up. I held out the money to him so I could pay and get the hell out of this place. The cinnamon scent was beginning to make me loopy and irritated.

"Interstellar's aren't very popular around here. Let alone 57's." The man said soberly. I raised an annoyed eyebrow at his attempt at conversation. He took my money and finished the transaction slowly. "I mean. We usually favor-"

"Cut the shit. I don't care." I snapped. I took my change and placed it in my wallet. A hazy feeling beginning to settle in my head.

"Well ma'am can I-" He continued trying to speak.

"No. Fuck Off." I spat curtly. I picked up the box realizing he was trying to stall me long enough that whatever that underlying reek was could affect me. I stormed out of the smoke shop and took a dizzying first breath that made my head spin. My clothes would stink of cinnamon forever. The thought made me consider incinerating them. I looked at the list and sighed. I would need some kind of cart. Unless I was going to be taking trips but that wasn't going to happen.

I pried a pack out of the open box and a cigarette out of that. I gripped it between my teeth as I walked. Looking around for something to carry my things in. Of course there were no hover carts available. However there were carts on wheels pulled by large and smaller animals. I figured that would be the best I was going to get. I walked over to the woman between the animals working on cleaning up the stalls.

"These carts available for rent?" I asked. I looked at the animal that somewhat resembled a camel but with no hump and multiple legs and no fur to speak of.

"Sure. Got a large or small load?" She asked disinterestedly,

"Small. Starship supplies." I said. She looked up at me and nodded.

"Ight. Y'need a handler?" She asked.

"Nah. I don't plan on making a day of this." I said. "I'm making it quick." She nodded at me and stood up. Wiping her hands on her apron and walking out past me and around the stables. I followed behind her where she came to a small cart with a large and old animal.

"Daisy here will be easy. She don't dawdle." The woman said. I paid her for the service of Daisy and put the box in the back of the cart. Taking the reins I walked the large animal off. I looked at my list and glanced at the vendors. Daisy indeed was not one for dawdling. She moved quickly and efficiently. My kind of animal.

I stopped cold when I felt something. Something odd. A tingle was in the back of my skull. It was so familiar. It was welling up in my chest like adrenaline. I could feel my heart trying to beat it's way out my chest as everything went dead for a second. I was brought out of my reverie when Daisy pushed me. Eager to get the work over with. I shook my head and lit my second cigarette hoping the nicotine would push that feeling out.

I purchased another few boxes and crates and I was heading to my ship to load my loot when I felt it again. Stronger. I took a deep breath and traced where that feeling was coming from. I turned on heel so fast a dirt cyclone spun up around my heels. I locked eyes with this small child. Hiding behind a stone wall looking at me with wide eyes. She had pale white twintails that were wrapped in pretty red ribbons on either side of her head that sat on her shoulder. She was pale and her eyes were practically red. She looked like a white lab rat. I stared at her for a moment before she emerged from behind the wall and began to approach me.

"What." I snapped. She flinched and took a few backward steps.

"Are you a Jedi?" She asked meekly. Barely above a whisper. How precious.

I crouched down with my elbows on my knees. She came up to me with eyes filled with pure wonder and sparkles. She was so hopeful, so innocent. And I was going to crush it.

"No." I snapped. I looked around cautiously. "And if you know what's good for you, you wouldn't go about assuming everyone you meet is a good person. You're lucky I don't turn you in." Her face turned to terror and she stared at me still. I stood up and wiped my hands off and turned away from her. I felt it again, She was probing me. I turned back to her and violently forced her out of my conscious mind.

"You're not bad. You're just hurt really bad. You wouldn't give me up." She said. I bent back down, narrowing my eyes at her. I took a deep breath and felt the life force around me. It was one of the first times I'd used the force in so long but it flowed in and around me so naturally. I'd forgotten what kind of wonderful high this was.

There were so many witnesses everywhere. I sighed and felt it dull again as I focused on the child again. My original plan to just kill this kid and walk away wouldn't go over so well with witnesses.

"What do you want, huh? What do you think you're going to gain from this?" I hissed to her. Her eyes welled up with tears.

"I… I just thought you were different. Like me." She whimpered.

"Hey! Mai'mu!" A voice made us both look up as a man that looked as human as I was ran over to us. I stood up to watch him look down at the little girl.

"Mai'mu. Are you bothering this woman?" He asked the girl. I looked at the man and then the little girl. I was thrown off guard by the human guardian to the Twi'lek child.

"I.." The girl floundered looking at me helplessly. I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes at her.

"No. She was just being curious." I stepped in. "No harm done."

"Oh. Well she's certainly a curious one." He agreed warily. He took the girl's shoulder and pulled her back to him. "I just don't want her getting in your way."

"Mm! Papi! Papi! She-" The girl tried to interrupt but she was shushed by the man.

"Hush Mimi. Don't interrupt." He hushed her. "Well miss. We should be heading off."

"No! Papi!" The girl continued to try catching her father's attention.

"Mai'mu! What?" He asked. Leaning down to her. She leaned in and whispered to him but I was already over it.

"Yeah. I've got errands to finish. So. Seeya." I waved.

"Oh. Oh! Miss!" The man stood quickly. "Perhaps you would like to join us for tea or coffee?" I stared at him blankly.

"Yeaah… No. Actually HELL no. Just. No." I said holding my hand out toward them. I walked off looking back a few minutes later to reiterate the word no.

I unloaded the cargo, returned the cart and was inside my ship. Finally. I fell into my pilot's chair with a sigh. Thank fuck it was over. I grabbed a cigarette and lit it up. I got two drags in but then paused noticing the silence. I sat up, looking around my deck. Where was FX-7? I got up and looked around, he was nowhere on my deck. I hunted all over my deck but couldn't find him. I stood there in shock that perhaps FX really had left. I hadn't thought he would actually do it.

Suddenly I heard gears and rolling wheels and I gave a sigh of relief. FX wheeled himself onto the ship with ease. He rolled up to his corner and settled himself.

"Wondered where you were." I offered offhandedly.

" **I wAs ChAsInG aWaY a TrEsPaSsEr.** " FX said. I nodded and sat back down. I closed the door and radioed in that I was on my way off. After getting confirmation I turned on my engines and lifted off. I got through the atmosphere and passed the moon.

"Well that's done." I sighed. Kicking my feet up on the console. I brought out another cigarette and stuck it in between my teeth in triumph. I lit up my lighter but paused hearing something moving on my ship. It wasn't FX as the droid made a mechanical noise. This sounded like flesh. I stood up and put my lighter back into my pocket and looked around my cockpit.

"FX lifescan." I said.

" **On-BoArD lIfE fOrMs… OnE AdUlT HuMaN fEmAlE. OnE aDoLeScEnT TwI'lEk FeMaLe.** " FX said robotically.

"Sonofa…" I broke off. That kid… whatever her name was. She somehow snuck aboard my ship! I growled and stomped through my ship listening for the rustling sound. I pinpointed the sound under my bed I knelt down and pulled out the child from under my cot.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded. FX rolled in behind me as the child stood up.

"Going wherever you are." She smiled. I stared at her.

"No you're not." I deadpanned. I grabbed her by the shoulder and walked her back to the cockpit. I sat her down into my pilot's seat. I had only one seat but I could stand up and I wanted to make sure this kid stayed put. I set the coordinates to the planet to take this kid home. It had been a couple of hours since I took off so no doubt by the time I got her back on the surface she would be missed.

"What's your name?" The kid asked. Kicking her feet in the chair with her hands on the seat on either side of her. She was looking at me with a bright smile.

"It doesn't matter." I said sharply.

"Mine's Mai'mu Saki." She smiled. I scoffed.

"Mai'mu Saki? That sounds like a pretty bastardized Twi'lek name… I don't even think it's Twi'leki." I huffed. Looking at her, Noting that she did look pretty odd for a Twi'lek. All the Twi'lek's I'd crossed in my adventures didn't usually come in such a pale white color. Or have such bright and unusual eye colors.

"It's not... " The girl shrugged. "I mean… My mother was but my papi didn't know any Twi'lek names so he just did his best with what he had." I looked her toe to tip with scrutiny.

"Is your Papi your real father?" I asked. Wondering how the flying fuck THAT happened.

"No! I mean. He's not… but yeah… no… He's my… Papi…" The girl said scared. I looked at her curiously, I looked back to the starship's windshield. Deciding to drop it for a while and we lapsed into silence for the rest of the journey.

I got the fourth degree from the dispatch when I requested again for permission to land. I threw back a few choice words regardless of the minor in my seat. I kicked her out of the seat so I could land my ship properly. Forcing her to sit down by the console and stay there. FX assisted me by putting himself beside her and extending his arms so he could grab her if it needed to be done.

I opened the door and grabbed the girl's arm and wrenched her up and towed her off roughly. Keeping a harsh grip on her, she was squirming around. I knew I was holding her perhaps a little too tightly but I was not pleased with her.

"Where's your house?" I demanded. Not stopping for a second to let her answer.

"It's down that way." Mai'mu pointed out. I yanked her in the directions I was given to a hut made of clay with a wooden door. I banged on it harshly. I heard the door unlock and the man meekly peeked out the door.

"Hi…" Mai'mu said sheepishly. The man threw the door open and pulled the kid into his arms,

"Mimi! Where have you been?!" He exclaimed.

"She stowed away on my ship." I said. He looked up at me then back to the girl.

"Oh thank you so much for bringing her back." He said standing up. "Miss?"

"Don't bother." I rebuffed. I wasn't going to give out my name to just any ass that asked it. My identification had a fake name as well all to keep me hidden.

"How may I refer to you then?" The man asked.

"Astrid." I relented. Giving my alias so they would quit bothering me about my name.

"My name is Y'ori." The man said. Holding his hand out to shake mine. I looked at it and back to him. He nodded and retracted his hand. "Right. Would you like to come in?"

"No." I deadpanned. "I've come to return your brat. With that accomplished I'm going to leave. You two will forget about me and that'll be the end of it."

"But!" The girl protested. "But there was that guy who kept looking around your ship!" I looked down at the kid once more. I had assumed her guardian was the man that FX had chased away. "I think he was looking for you."

"No shit. What gave that away?" I sneered.

"No I mean I think he was bad and looking for you." She said. "He was all orangey and smelled really strongly of cinnamon." Mai'mu scrunched up her nose remembering the scent. I did too.

"Even more reason for me to leave. And quickly." I said. I turned but spotted something that stopped my heart. In the distance, very far distance. Were a pair of Stormtroopers.


	3. III

I sat on the rundown couch of the hut. Mai'mu scampered up onto the seat next to me. She beamed up at me so happy. I wanted to punch her in the face. Right in her teeth. However, given the situation I fought that urge and just focused on Y'ori.

"I think you've noticed that Mimi's… special." Y'ori began.

"You mean force sensitive at the very least." I stated bluntly. He nodded.

"Her mother was a Jedi. I know she's more than just sensitive." Y'ori said.

"So what? Was she just abandoned here and you took her in? Close friend of the parents or what?" I sighed. Realizing I was going to hear all about the history of this kid whether I wanted to or not.

"I am her father." He said seriously. I looked at him curiously.

"That actually explains a lot about her appearance." I noted. "It's all genetic mutation of two separate species that probably shouldn't have come together at all biologically speaking but somehow the genetic code mutated itself and became life… Bet you two were surprised."

"Very." Y'ori admitted. "Interspecies breeding was always rumored to be impossible. We didn't think that there would even be a chance for conception. That it wouldn't happen, then it did."

"What happened to her?" I asked. Suddenly realizing that if she was found by the Empire then Mai'mu would have been killed as well. If not for the fact she was the daughter of a Jedi it most certainly would have been because she was a genetic abomination.

"She was found out by the Empire and they took her. Mimi never met her, we both knew what kind of a risk having her was. We both considered.. Just killing her as an infant." Y'ori admitted. Avoiding looking at his daughter. I looked at Mai'mu who had apparently never heard this story as her face was a mix of shock and terror. I felt pity for her now. Understanding why on the ship she hadn't a real answer for me when I asked if her papi was her real father.

"Her mother gave her to me and told me I could decide what to do with her as she wanted nothing to do with a child." Y'ori continued. I had to admit, I was beginning to really sympathize with this kid. Though at the same time. I wanted nothing to do with the kid either.

"I almost just ended it that night but… I couldn't."

"Because you're weak." I pointed out. I laid back with a sigh. "I suppose offering to do it for you now would be pointless. Since you seem quite attached to her."

"You talk big but you're not that evil." Y'ori said. I looked at him challengingly. "You're the first person who doesn't refer to Mimi as an 'it'." I looked at the kid who was looking at her knees. Then back to Y'ori. This was pretty heavy to be talking about while the offending child was in the room.

"Look. It's not that I wouldn't shoot her without remorse. IT's that I don't give enough fucks to consider her worth being bigoted about." I huffed. "But don't tempt me."

"That makes you marginally better than quite a few individuals on this planet." Y'ori said.

"You make me sound like a saint." I sighed. Pulling a cigarette from my pocket. I stuck it between my teeth, and pulled my lighter out.

"I really wish you wouldn't." Y'ori said hastily. I stared at him for a moment and lit my cigarette anyway.

"Scooch kid. Second hand smoke's bad for you." I warned. Mai'mu looked at me and then to her father. Ultimately she got up and ran to a chair on the other side of the room. Her father gave a sigh but didn't say anything else about my smoking.

"Look." I said taking a drag and exhaling. "I pity your kid. Really. I honestly do. But honestly what do you want from me?"

"You know that the Empire hunts down callously anyone who is gifted with the force. We've been hiding out on this planet but as Mimi's getting older she's becoming more curious about using the Force and she's-"

"Fuck no." I interrupted. "I'm not going to train her or take her on as an apprentice just no.

"No. That isn't what I was going to ask you." Y'ori clarified. "You've been able to hide from them for this long. You saw the Stormtroopers out there. They're clearly looking for someone."

"And you think it's her." I nodded. "Perhaps you're just being paranoid." Suddenly a heavy knock came on the door. Startling us. Mai'mu jumped up and ran behind the wall and I stood up waiting to hear who it was at the door. Y'ori stood up to answer the door looking meek and fearful. What a bitch. How a Twi'lek woman so harcore she would abandon her own half breed baby could have ever been attracted to this asshole was anyones guess. I took a step back into the hall with Mai'mu when Y'ori opened the door.

"I'm looking for a young woman who was seen around this house. She's tall, about six foot six. Dark skin tone. Tattoos going up her left arm and dark green eyes. Have you seen her?" The man from the other side of the door asked. I couldn't see who it was but given how he had rather accurately described me I could only assume how he knew me.

"I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone matching that description.." Y'ori shook his head.

"Well that's no matter. We would also like to talk to you about the young girl in your possession." The man asked. Using the term 'we' told me there were more than one. I felt a tug on my pants and I looked down to Mai'mu who was staring up at me fearfully.

"Do something! Use a… a… a mind trick or something!" She whispered.

"I will do no such thing." I hissed. I didn't want to use any Jedi tricks or even be reminded I was cursed with such a burden in the first place.

"I'm afraid Mai'mu's out playing right now. What is it you want to talk about?" Y'ori lied. I pushed Mai'mu and myself into the hall and out of sight of anyone looking through the door on the off chance whoever it was would try to barge in. The girl clamped on to my leg and refused to be pried off. She buried her face in my pants and I rolled my eyes. More annoyed now at the anchor that was attached to me.

"We believe she should be tested by the Empire for forbidden tendencies." The man explained.

"I'm sure Mai'mu isn't involved with whatever it is you're accusing her of." Y'ori feigned innocence. "She's only a child."

"Of seven years old. We are aware." The man confirmed. "We would like to make sure of that ourselves. Let us in."

"I don't think that-"

"Sir are you resisting?"

"No! I!" I jumped to attention when I heard a blaster go off and something heavy hit the floor. Mai'mu froze before I could stop her, the girl ran out from behind the hall and began screaming.

It was shrill and made my blood go cold. Unwanted memories ran through my brain I held my head as it began to hurt. I slammed my head against the wall to clear it. The blunt pain on my forehead brought me back to the real world. I reached over and snatched Mai'mu's arm and yanked her back. Her face was wet and tears were streaming down her face. She continued to scream but I was having none of it. I open-palm slapped her across her cheek hard. I had a good grip on her so when she fell I held her up. She looked up at me with wide eyes that were still dripping tears. A large red bruise beginning to show on her cheek. I pulled her to her feet and shoved her down the hall and into the bedroom as the troopers barged into the hall.

They began shooting as I shoved Mai'mu into the bedroom. One blaster shot nailed me in the shoulder and I hit the wall but threw myself into the room before I could be hit a second time,

"Oh fuck!" I hissed. Holding my burned up arm. It would be useless to me until it could heal. I heard the girl gasp and whimper. She crawled backwards up against the wall whimpering and crying.

"Kid. You're gonna have to make a choice today," I snapped at her harshly. I stood up and locked the door as I heard the stomping down the hall.

"OPEN THE DOOR!" The lead trooper yelled through the door. Mai'mu was trained on the door. I moved the dresser in front of the door. I leaned in front of the girl and grabbed her chin to make sure she was looking at me.

"Hey! You're going to have to make a big choice today. You can either sit here and die or you can grow some balls and live. What are you going to do?" I said bluntly. She just nodded her head for some stupid reason. I shook my head and scoffed. I stood and grabbed a lamp and threw it out the window. Shattering the glass and I moved fast to punch out the rest of the broken glass. I felt a tug on my pants and I looked down to little Mai'mu she had her best brave face on. Her jaw clenched tightly and her lips pursed together in a hard frown. Her eyes watery but determined. She shook slightly with a hold on my pants. She looked so small trembling like that. She… somehow reminded me of something.

I heard more blaster fire and then banging on the door. I couldn't lift the girl well with my arm. Despite that I took a deep breath and held it, then lifted the child and swung her out the window and dropped her. Growling in pain as it shot through my arm and up my chest and down my torso. I held the bloody appendage to my chest as I vaulted out the window. Cutting my palm open on some glass.

Mai'mu was on the ground and lifting herself up slowly. Still trembling. I was afraid that maybe she had been shot herself. I seized her arm and threw her up and forward. She stumbled but I was quick behind her grabbing her hand roughly and running as fast as I could. Running in the alleys and avoiding being seen. I stopped and Mai'mu hit me from behind. There was a road in front of us and with the setting of the sun the night life was out. Including patrols. I looked back behind me to see if we were being pursued. I looked back and forth down the street and when I was sure we would avoid being seen I bolted across the street. Yanking the child with me. Mai'mu had short legs and she was slowing me down. I thought about just dropping her hand and leaving her behind but I just couldn't.

I could see something in her that made me unable to leave her here. I pulled her all the way to my ship which was some miracle that it was completely unguarded. I pushed Mai'mu up the ramp before me.

"Hey!" I stopped and turned. Mai'mu gripped my pants and held me tightly. It was that asshole from the smoke shop. "Hey there beautiful.. Y'know you're a pretty wanted young missus." I pushed the small girl toward the inside of my ship. The man walked up the ramp toward me and all I could think about was shooting him. Just killing him and kicking him off my ship and leaving it at that. I didn't have any time for this shenannigans.

"I might be persuaded to pretend I never saw you if you might be willing to give me a little somethin…" He said. A sudden idea hit me. This vulgar shit wouldn't be able to say no.

"Well… Perhaps something could be arranged." I said dropping my voice to a sultry tone. "Tell you what stud. We gotta get out of this town for a little while, but I don't see what it would hurt if you came out with us for a few days… If you think you're willing to take that risk," I swung my hips and fluttered my eyelashes. I watched him fall under the spell of my gaze. It broke away to look at the girl hiding in my ship.

"Her too?" He asked. Gross.

"Well. She's gotta learn sometime." I shrugged. His face cracked into a grin. A dirty, disgusting grin. I didn't know how I didn't let my disgust show on my face. However, he followed me onto the ship.

"Alright. FX. Go ahead and get us off this rock." I nodded to my droid. FX made no noise but went to the console and began closing up the ship. I looked at Mai'mu who was staring at me like a night creature in a flashlight beam.

"You. Sit down and buckle up. I'll come get you when the turbulence is over." I said. Mai'mu carefully moved over to the pilot's seat and she sat and buckled up. "She's never been on a starship before. I don't want her to get a head injury." I explained to the man behind me. I led him into the bathroom and shut the door.

I swung around and threw him into the shower area and drew my pistol in the same move. When the man looked back at me he was met with my cold stare. I didn't hesitate in shooting him. My aim was a little off but I was shooting left handed and I was right handed. So while I had aimed for his forehead I ended up shooting him straight in the neck. Which I guess still worked out for me in the end. He was dead in any case. Blood spurted from the main arteries in his neck and it pumped for two good geysers before it began only oozing out. The whole bathroom was covered in blood. I didn't think this through. The ship moved and I could feel the turbulence of hitting the atmosphere. FX got us up and out in quite an admirable amount of time. I had to give him credit as a damn good pilot. He must be learning again. I put away my blaster and left the bathroom. I grabbed a washcloth and began wiping off the blood splatter that had hit me.

"Hey kid." I said as I walked carefully into the cockpit where the child was sitting in my chair all buckled in. She stared at me terrified. "The bathroom's off limits right now. If you have to pee let me know and I'll find you a… bottle or… something." I shrugged. I looked out the windshield to see the stars and the moon in the distance.

"FX. We're going to be pursued soon. Jump to hyper speed as soon as is possible." I commanded. "And find me my toolbox."

 **~Warning graphic scene of dismemberment, gore and bodily mutilation~**

I took a heavy drag on my cigarette and stared at the dead body in my shower. My incinerator wasn't nearly big enough for a whole body. Especially not one this size. I knew what I was going to have to do. I took off my jacket and pants. I didn't want them bloodstained. I ended up in my underwear and the bandage FX had patched up my arm with and I pulled the body flat and grabbed my tool box.

I opened it up and moved around for a perfect tool. I pulled out a heavy tipped mallet. This would be a good tool for breaking bones so I could saw through the body faster. I figured I'd start with the legs. Then the arms get the easy things out of the way first.

I went through his pockets. I found his wallet with a decent amount of money so I put that in the sink for later. I pulled off what clothes could be salvaged. His pants and underwear were unsoiled by blood so I folded them neatly and put them down the laundry chute. Aware that I didn't need to fold the clothes. His jacket was ruined by blood and so was his shirt. His boots and socks were off no use to me so I threw them into the incinerator with the soiled clothes.

That was merely the easy part. I straddled a leg and raised the hammer I swung it down with all the force I could on the ankle joint. It cracked but held fast. So I swung again and again. On the fourth blow the bone splintered and pierced through the skin in multiple shards. I dropped the hammer and grabbed my washcloth and wiped off the blood spatters that had hit me while I had been breaking his bones. I walked over to my tool box and rummaged around. I had lots of mechanical tools for fixing things that went wrong about my ship but not many intended for cutting. I growled and popped my head outside the bathroom door.

"FX! I need something for cutting through flesh please!" I yelled. Not knowing where my droid was and completely forgot about the guest aboard. Fx returned to me with a knife from the kitchen. I looked at it a second then shrugged. "This'll do then. Thanks." I retreated to the bathroom again and locked the door behind me. I sat down beside the leg and grabbed onto the leg and began saw back and forth on the gap between the broken bones of the foot and the leg. Blood sprayed everywhere the further I sawed. Back and forth until my muscle felt worn out and sore. Back and forth finally I hit the floor of my bathroom and paused. Putting the knife down and picking up the severed foot and throwing it into the incinerator. One part down.

I straddled the corpses waist and grabbed my hammer again. Aiming for the kneecaps now. I paused to wipe off the slick handle so I would have a better grip on it. Then I raised up the hammer and brought it down into the kneecap which gave a crunch. It bent backwards in an odd way but I was confident that it wasn't fully broken yet. So I gave it another good hit. It sunk and squelched like I'd hit a water balloon. Blood went everywhere. I wiped off the handle of my knife and went to work sawing through the knee. The blood splattered less now in this leg which was good for me as too much blood made it difficult to grip the tool I was using.

The bone kept getting in my way. There was too much bone fragmentation for me to cleanly saw through. I gave a sigh and then put down the knife. Even in death he was a bastard. I went back to my toolbox wiping off my hands and I searched around until I found my pliers. I pulled them out and went back to the broken knee. There was a good sized gash in the knee from where I had been sawing with white bone bits sticking up from the flesh. I put down a towel I wouldn't mind losing.

I began yanking out the bone piece by piece. I felt like this should have been something I had foreseen would end up happening but it was just one more part to disposal. I took out all the pieces I could find and then took up my knife. Continuing the sawing until I had the next piece off.

By this point I was too sore to continue. I stood up and wiped myself off. Knowing a shower would be out of the question. I looked at the mess I still had to deal will. I stuck my head outside the bathroom door again.

"Hey FX come give me a hand!" I yelled out. I heard the bot roll around somewhere on my ship.

"Can I help?" I jumped out of my skin hearing the little voice. I looked down at Mai'mu. I'd completely forgotten about her.

"Uh… no." I shook my head. "Go sit down or something." FX came up just then and I let him in,

" **NiNa!** " He yelled before I had even closed the door.

"Don't yell at me you know how small my incinerator is!" I snapped. Slamming the door.

" **WhY tHe HeLl WoUlD yOu ThInK tHiS iS oKaY?** " FX asked.

"Please I've done way worse than this before." I shrugged. "This is just a lot harder with mechanics tools."

" **I cAn ThInK oF oNe ToOl ThAt WoUlD mAkE tHiS eAsIeR.** " FX pointed out.

"And it better be on your body." I warned. FX shut up after that and one arm extended and lifted the hammer.

" **ThE pElViS nExT? oR tHe OtHeR lEg?** " FX asked.

"The other leg." I directed as I pulled a cigarette out and lighting it.

" **YoU'rE dOiNg ThAt NoW?** " FX asked. I blew smoke from my nose.

"I'm trying to dispose of a body with hardware. I think that's stressful enough to warrant a smoke." I said. The droid went to work and slammed down the hammer into the knee of the other leg.

"And the ankle." I pointed. FX dutifully raised his appendage again and slammed it into the ankle. FX seemed to have much more strength than I did. He also didn't tire. I watched the droid saw through the leg while I finished my cigarette. I rolled my shoulder and grabbed the hammer myself.

" **DeCiDeD tO hElP dId YoU?** " The bot snapped.

"Fuck off and keep sawing." I snapped back. Swinging all my frustration in the hammer. I smashed the hammer into his pelvis. Right in the dick for my own sadism. It exploded in blood and flesh like jello. My face twisted into a sick smile at the imagery.

" **SaTiSfIeD?** " FX asked me.

"Don't kink shame me." I joked. "We have a lot more to do and wasting your chastising for now will be a waste." I raised the hammer again and brought it down on his hip. It cracked and the second blow shattered that side and I started on the other as FX placed the sawn off appendages to the side. I shattered the other side to the pelvis and got up to let FX saw at the rest of the legs. I grabbed the already dismembered bits and tossed them into the incinerator.

"Is autopilot on?" I asked absently as I came back and grabbed the hammer again.

" **InDeEd.** " FX responded. I nodded and brought the hammer down on the body's solar plexus. It cracked and I hit it again. Planning on sawing the torso itself in half. I would also have to break all of the ribs and probably the spine. Or perhaps not the ribs. We're have to wait and see.

After FX finished with the legs he began sawing just above the pelvis. I had gotten through the chest bone and was working on breaking the ribs individually. Throwing the weight of the hammer around was so much easier than sawing through the flesh. The body was unbelievably sturdy for an unhealthy sleazebag. I flipped the body over and began on the spinal cord. My shoulder began to feel the strain so I put it down and cleaned up the separated parts and began grabbing everything that was soaked in blood and throwing it down the laundry chute. Even the shower curtain. I rubbed my sore shoulder for a minute trying to make the strain go away.

"Fuck am I going to be sore tomorrow." I huffed. Returning to the body where FX had grabbed the hammer and was preparing to separate the arms. I picked up the three torso pieces and dumped them. FX returned to sawing as he cut through the wrist of the first arm and I took up the hammer to pummel the elbow further up. The elbows took a couple of hits but not nearly as many as the shoulders required. I had to break the shoulder blade and then the collar bone so FX could cut it away from the last part of the torso. The wrist was easy and FX was keeping up with me nicely. My shoulder was really burning and now the blaster shot was beginning to hurt worse.

"Fuck. FX I need a painkiller. Got any acetaminophen?" I asked holding my shoulder.

" **OrAl Or InJeCtIoN?** " He asked. " **I aLsO pOsSeSs NaPrOxEn, AsPiRiN aNd OxYcOdOnE.** "

"Ooh. That last ones pretty heavy isn't it?" I asked.

" **YoU wErE sHoT aNd ReFuSe To TaKe It EaSy.** " He responded. I shrugged.

"Use your best judgement." I said holding out my hand. Two new arms extended, one grabbed my wrist and the other held a syringe. He injected the vein in my wrist with a precision no bio-matter could ever recreate. I flexed my arm a few times and waited for the painkiller, whichever it was, to take effect.

Once the pain started to dull I took the hammer from FX and began slamming into the base of the skull so the head would saw off easily enough. FX finished the dismembering while I threw all the parts down the incinerator. Finishing with the head. I saw down on the toliet and lit a new cigarette.

"Thanks FX. Now that the hard parts over." I sighed.

" **I dOn'T uNdErStAnD wHy YoU fElT tHe NeEd To Do SuCh a ThInG iN tHe FiRsT pLaCe.** " The droid scolded.

"Honestly. I had a lot of frustration and anger to go through and no one would weep for that scum anyway." I sighed. "Go entertain the kid while I wash this shit up." FX wordlessly left and I relaxed for a bit before fetching the bleach and heavy chemicals and turning the shower on.


	4. IV

I fell onto my chair heavily. My arms and shoulders sore. I wanted to just fall into my bed and forget about life but I couldn't. Because by the time I had finished cleaning everything in the bathroom Mai'mu had curled up on my bed and fell asleep. I thought about just waking the kid and kicking her out of my bed but on the other side of that she'd had a pretty rough day.

Watching your loving father be shot by Stormtroopers was probably traumatizing. Probably. She seemed pretty devastated. I had been taken into the Jedi academy at three years old and my parents hadn't played a big role in my life. I wasn't very upset when they died at least not as far as I could remember. It was so odd, this kid reminded of something just outside of my memory. I was determined to remember what exactly it was. I laid back with a bottle of ale. I tipped it back and thought about it as hard as I could. I closed my eyes and thought about her. Trying to draw a parallel in my alcohol induced state.

I fell into a half sleep. Into a dream of sorts about Mai'mu. She was sitting determinedly in an all too familiar location. Sitting with other kids… All from my old academy class. I recognized a few of them. Those damn kids.

It was like a horror movie. One that I knew very well. Mai'mu stood up to demonstrate her use of the Force. She lifted the crate easily with barely any resistance. In the next second she'd thrown it straight up into the ceiling and it smashed against the cement. The shattered boards hit the ground and she looked shocked. It started with one kid who laughed. Then a few others. Mai'mu turned around slightly confused but with a good natured smile. Like she'd done something funny.

I jolted awake and I looked over toward Mai'mu in my bed. She was still there. Sleeping on her side toward the wall and bundled up in the blankets. When I had dozed off Mai'mu hadn't been under the blankets. FX was in the corner. Powered down and in a sleep state. My bottle was gone and cigarette pack was in its pocket. I leaned back with a sigh. That memory. It had been after that moment all my classmates had refused to talk or hang around me. They had become scared of me because I had little control over my power when I was little. When it was developing.

My chair wasn't comfortable. I stood up and walked over to my bed. Mai'mu was all curled up close to the wall. Her face peacefully blank, mouth open slightly. Inhaling through her nose and exhaling out her open mouth. Shoulder rising with every breath. I wondered what it was like to sleep so peacefully. It had been way too long since I had slept so serenely. So carelessly. So trusting. I climbed into my bed beside the child and yawned. My eyelids were suddenly so heavy and I felt lethargic. I wasn't all that surprised after the long day I'd had and the work I had to put into disposing that corpse.

I fell asleep almost immediately. Falling into a dreamless, silent and almost dead like sleep. The most blissful night of sleep I'd had without substance abuse for a very long while.

I slept much longer than Mai'mu. I could tell because I woke up spread out all over my bed. I pushed myself up slightly listening to a small voice coming from somewhere in my ship. I sat up and was barely able to make out the words being said. I got out of my bed and walked into the kitchen groggily. I saw Mai'mu sitting up at the counter on the barstool with a plate of pancakes smothered with syrup and melted butter.

" **GoOd MoRnInG nInA.** " FX greeted cheerfully.

"Mm! Hey, I thought your name was Astrid? Why does Medic call you Nina?" Mai'mu asked. Her face was covered in syrup.

"Nina's a nickname." I said sternly. Lookings at FX seriously.

"I have a nickname too!" Mai'mu smiled happily. "Can you guess what it is?" I stared at her with a dead stare.

"Let me guess…" I said deadpan. Knowing for sure what it was. "Is it… Mimi?"

"It is!" She squeaked.

"Whoo." I groaned. My entire body ached miserably. I collapsed into a stool and FX brought me a mug full of coffee. I moaned a response. I took a bitter sip of the black coffee with complete indifference.

"There's pancakes!" Mai'mu announced.

"I see that." I deadpanned.

"Medic made them for me." Mai'mu grinned. "I've never had pancakes before!"

"Who the fuck is Medic?" I sighed. Mai'mu pointed to FX.

" **MiMi CoUlD nOt PrOnOuNcE fX-7.843 SeRiAl NuMbEr 55534982-8893045** " FX said. I was lost after FX-7.

"Was it that she couldn't remember that ridiculous number like I couldn't or she couldn't enunciate the x sound?" I asked.

"X." Mai'mu admitted with a slight lisp to the x sound.

"How old are you?" I asked the girl. "Like eight years old and you never figured out how to articulate?" The girl gave me a dirty look. She dropped it after a while and went back to her pancakes. I finished my cup of coffee and patted my pockets. I found my lighter but not a cigarette pack. I groaned remembering where all my hidey holes for them were.

"I'll get it!" Mai'mu volunteered. I shrugged, why not?

"Sure. They're in the top drawer of my dresser." I said. I leaned on my hand. Yet after a few moments I noticed that the girl hadn't gotten up. I turned to look at her. She was looking in the direction of the dresser with a look of intense concentration. She held out her hand and in the next second my cigarette pack hit her hand. I jumped back, my heart thudding in my chest. I jumped onto my feet. I didn't think about my next move which I ultimately regret but in the same second that my feet hit the floor I struck her across the face. Right in the bruise from the last time I'd hit her. She fell straight off the stool. She looked up at me with teary wide eyes. She raised her hand shakily to the fresh palm print on her cheek. Her mouth wide open in shock.

" **NiNa! HoW cOuLd YoU?** " FX's voice circuits cracked in his outrage. I'd honestly never heard a droid's voice crack before.

"Do NOT EVER I mean **EVER** use **that** on my ship!" I commanded. She gave a watery sniff and nodded frantically. I stepped over her and swiped up my smokes and stormed into the only room with a door. The bathroom. I fell heavily on the toilet. Leaning my elbows on my knees and my hands in my hair. I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest and I was breathing heavily.

My own eyes were watering and I was shaking. I wiped away the falling tears trying to forget all of that. I threw the pack of cigarettes into the sink angrily. I was shaking all over and memories were coming back again. I covered my head and leaned as far down between my legs before my back began to hurt. I stood up and practically threw myself into the shower. FX never went into the shower. He couldn't be in water so he'd never look beneath the shower knobs where I'd built the compartment in. He couldn't get low enough to the ground to see it. I cracked it open and yanked out my stash. My secret stash.

I pulled everything out and then flew to the door. Locking it. I knew FX would be able to get around any counter measures I set the last time. I carefully took out the eyedropper from the glass bottle with questionable liquid in it. I carefully put it in the cleaned ashtray that I hid in there. FX had seen the ashtray a ton of times. He never thought twice about a smoker having multiple ashtrays.

I carefully put the bottle back in the compartment. I wrapped the rag around my upper arm and tapped my wrist a few times. Then I pulled the syringe out of the plastic wrap. I kept a good pile of unused syringes that I swiped from FX's medical stash when he wasn't paying attention. I dropped the plastic into the overworked incinerator. I remembered haphazardly that I needed to switch over the laundry. I sat down in the shower again and tapped my wrist again. Cursing myself for my impatience. I filled the syringe with all the liquid in the ashtray. I held out my wrist and carefully inserted it into my vein and injecting the liquid.

I moved quickly. I knew how long it would take before this stuff would hit me. It really wasn't the most popular because of the delay but I liked the delay. I liked that few minutes I had in my right mind so I could cover up my tracks. I cleaned out the ashtray and hid it away I tossed away the syringe. It was used and no good to me anymore. I hid the compartment again and then leaned back outside of the shower. If I hid in the shower too much FX would stop risking his circuits to save my druggie ass.

I faded out pretty quickly after that. Everything becoming unimportant and a secondary concern. A quick decision about what to do with Mai'mu crossed my mind before I was out completely.

I came back to my senses at some point much later to the sound of banging on the door.

" **OpEn ThE dOoR nInA.** " FX commanded.

"Fine! I'm coming." I yelled. I stood up shakily, wobbling and almost falling over. I leaned on the wall and collected my pack from the sink and unlocked the bathroom door and staggered out. I leaned heavily on the wall to my pilot's chair where I collapsed. I heard the bathroom door shut and lock. Mai'mu probably had to use the bathroom… Speaking of.

I rerouted my starship's autopilot coordinates. I let it take the wheel for a few moments in the new direction I had given it while my head cleared. I leaned back and took cigarette out of the pack and lit it. The vents kicked on and immediately began sucking up the exhaled smoke. That made it the first time FX hadn't chastised me about my smoke before hand. I heard the flush of the toilet and I took over. Preparing to jump. The door unlocked and Mai'mu left the small bathroom. I had the cigarette between my teeth and I was preparing the jump.

I took the jump and there was a jolt as the ship jumped. I was paying attention to the space in front of me. I heard very quiet steps walking up behind me.

"Where are we heading?" The tiny and very meek voice of Mai'mu came from behind me.

"Yunikae. It's a planet with a fairly high Twi'lek population. They'll take you in.." I said. Then shrugged. "Or kill you for being a genetic abomination. One of the two."

"I'm not a genetic abomination!" Mai'mu cried indignantly.

"You can hope they don't think that." I nodded.

"You're so mean!" Mai'mu cried.

"Yup." I agreed.

"I hate you!" Mai'mu yelled.

"Good." I nodded.

"I wish I had never met you!" Mai'mu's screamed. Trying to escalate and get a reaction out of me.

"That's mutual." I agreed. The girl gave a cry of frustration and stomped off. Leaving me blissfully alone.

"I hope you choke and die!" She yelled as a final hoorah. I rolled my eyes.

"Pretty sure you'd die with me since I'm the pilot!" I yelled back. I was over the joys of parenthood. I thought about how long that kid would survive. If the Twi'leks chose to keep her rather than exile or outright kill her, she could have a chance to live with them. Hell they might even encourage her to use her… talent. I hadn't been to this planet in so long that I couldn't remember the alignment of the majority. It would probably be a safer bet to just not use it at all. Not that she would listen to any advice I would give her. She probably wouldn't listen to any commands I gave at all.

I leaned back just watching the scanner and the map. Staring out at hyperspeed would hurt my head. As I was watching the scanner I noticed we had a follower.

"Oh… fuck!" I whispered. "FX! ...Child! Uh.. Mai'mu? Both of you, here. Now!" I yelled. I knew they would hear me. It wasn't like the ship was that big. FX rolled in dutifully and Mai'mu stuck her head out the doorway bitterly.

"We have a follower. FX I need a printed passport for Mai'mu. Use an alias. Something more common for a Twi'lek. Aayla. Use Aayla." I said as I slowed from hyperspeed and left us drifting hoping that our follower would pass us though the odds of that were astronomical.

"Mai'mu. If they ask you, your name is Aayla. You're an orphan who I've taken on as a worker. Don't speak unless asked a question and keep your answers short. If asked. My name is Astrid Helvira and we are an intergalactic mechanic company by name of Buckets and Bolts. We fix droids repeat that back to me."

"Uh. My name is Aayla. I'm an orphan you've employed. Don't speak unless asked a question and keep my answers short. You're name is Astrid Helvira and we are mechanics working for Buckets and Bolts." She said uncertainly.

"Damn right if you forget a detail don't say anything." I said sternly. I took the printed papers, including a workers permit for underage Aayla. I put all the new paperwork in with my false papers in the dashboard under the console. The radio cracked and I heard a command to identify myself.

"This is the starship 3320-9 of the mechanic company Buckets and Bolts. Pilot's name is Astrid Helvira with two onboard. One medical droid and one child." I said into the radio. Looking at Mai'mu sternly.

"Permission to board regarding a search warrant of a vessel much like this in conjunction with a kidnap and possibly murder." The radio crackled back.

"Permission granted." I said. I hung the radio back and waited. "Mai'mu, they're going to pull us into their landing bay and we're going to be parked there forcibly. The search party will come and we will be escorted out. Remember what I told you and keep silent. You have no memory of your parents if they ask about what orphanage you came from or anything about your backstory I haven't told you, direct them to me so I can give them your paperwork. Don't make up any details keep it simple." Mai'mu nodded fearfully. I felt awful. "C'mere. This is routine and there's nothing on this ship that can be used to incriminate us," Mai'mu ran to me and I had to quickly catch her as the ship jolted backward. Caught in the gravity they'd created. I held her to my waist as I felt us being dragged. Hoping there was indeed nothing they would find that could incriminate us.


	5. V

Mai'mu was not happy when the Stormtroopers came aboard. She had clung onto me as they came on with big rifles. I kept my hands up and in sight. Mai'mu held me tighter. I had hoped they wouldn't send on troopers but of course. At least she would keep as silent as she could. We were very calmly escorted off the ship and into the landing bay. A small group of troopers watched us as the rest searched my ship.

"Miss please step over here so we can ask you some questions." One trooper said to me. I nodded and looked down to Mai'mu.

"You stay put right here." I said sternly. She nodded with a worried, fearfully and distrusting look. I followed the trooper a short distance away.

"Identification please." The trooper asked. I gave a curt nod and handed over my id and Mai'mu's false id. He took it and holstered his blaster to inspect them. I stood still and quiet. Sneaking little looks to Mai'mu. She was twiddling her thumbs and shaking slightly.

"Miss Helvira?" The trooper asked. I looked back inquisitively. I hadn't met many troopers who put 'miss' in front of my name. "The child. She has a workers permit and you have adoption papers for her. Please explain."

"I am her legal guardian but she also works for me." I explained simply.

"Do you pay her a minimum wage salary?" He asked.

"Yes I do." I said. The trooper nodded at me in his comically large helmet.

"Very good. Please give me her and your details." He asked.

"Forgive my ignorance, but is that information not upon our identification?" I said. He looked at me and I purposefully turned to look at Mai'mu. There was a trooper trying to speak to her but she was looking at me terrified and not saying anything.

"If you don't mind I would like to cut this short." I said redirecting my attention to the trooper ahead of me. "You're comrades are making my child uneasy." He looked at me and then over to Mai'mu and nodded.

"Very well. Your papers are in order." He said. I nodded and took them back from him and put them away. I walked back over to Mai'mu. Standing behind her and laying a hand on her shoulder. She jumped up and spun around to look at me. She recognized me almost immediately and burrowed herself into my stomach. I guess between me and the troopers I was the lesser of two evils. That made me feel a little better about myself.

"What is your destination?" The trooper asked after following me back over.

"Yunikae. To inspect a presumably broken droid." I answered.

"What kind of droid?" A different trooper asked. I shrugged.

"I was not informed by my superior. Just to inspect the droid" I lied. The search party came out of my ship with reports that nothing odd was found upon my ship. I felt rather smug about that. Considering the amount of contraband I had stashed away both on my ship and on my person.

"Very good. You may go about your business." The lead trooper nodded.

"Yes sir." I affirmed. "Aayla. Let's go." I pushed Mai'mu and she bolted into the ship with no other prompts needed.

"Miss." The trooper said. I turned to look at him once more. "The girl seems skittish around authority."

"She is." I agreed. "The home the girl came from was very totalitarian rule she was even very skittish with me and she doesn't do well with our boss either."

"Understood. Have a nice trip miss." The trooper nodded. I smiled and nodded.

"Thank you very much." I smiled. I understood now that the trooper was being so nice to me because he fancied me. I knew I was a reasonably attractive female. I knew this because I was able to seduce quite a few males and females of quite a few different species. I admit it would be a point of pride to have a storm trooper under my belt. I don't think his coworkers would let me take him to bed. Plus his superior would be rather displeased with him. Not that it would be my problem… Maybe someday I could boast having slept with a stormtrooper.

With my new life goals in mind I boarded my ship. I saw Mai'mu hiding under my console.

"Can we leave yet?" She whispered fearfully.

"As soon as we are given clearance." I said gently. I sat in the chair with an amused smile.

"You seem too happy!" She accused.

"I think one of the troopers has the hots for me." I whispered. Mai'mu wrinkled her face up.

"You're gross." She said aloud. Shaking her head at me. I laughed aloud.

"You might think so now." I said. "However that could change someday. Or maybe not. I've met quite a few individuals who simply don't feel attraction to others like that." I grabbed my radio and asked permission to leave. There was a long pause before the dispatch let me know that we would be escorted to the planet we were heading for. I gave a confirmation over the radio and leaned back,

"We're getting a ride." I said.

"I don't want a ride." Mai'mu hissed.

"We really don't have a choice." I shrugged. "You don't say no to the Empire. You should know that after what happened to your father." Mai'mu's expression darkened.

"Yeah I know that's a sore spot to hit but it's the truth." I said. "And it's never going to hurt any less. It's always going to hurt. You have to learn to live with that pain. Let it become another part of you and thicken your skin so it'll never hurt you again."

"Is that why you're such a jerk?" Mai'mu asked under her breath.

"Yup." I said simply. "If I don't let you get close, it won't hurt when you're gone." A metallic knock came at the door and I turned to see a trooper leaning in to the door. Mai'mu's face drained of what little color it possessed and she slid further underneath the console.

"Can I help you?" I asked. None of the uniformed people looked at all the same and due to the masks they wore they all sounded the same too.

"I'm going to be watching you while you're here, miss." He said. Calling me miss let me know which one I was talking with.

"Well, I know I'll be watching you pretty closely." I winked. There was no real reaction to my advances besides him moving slightly.

"You're both gross." Mai'mu said. Her face all scrunched up. She crawled out from under my console and ran into the bathroom. I watched and before I could turn to address the trooper again I heard the bathroom door open again. "I'M GONNA STAY IN THE BATHROOM SO YOU CAN BE NASTY IN HERE AGAIN!" I laughed. If only she knew. I wasn't even concerned about how the man behind me had heard that statement.

"I… I have to ask. Do you… seduce others using the child or with the-"

"Hell no!" I yelled indignantly. Turning with a look of disgust and appall. I couldn't see the expression on the troopers face but I was disturbed he could even think I would turn the child into nothing more than a sex toy. She was only seven! Or… However old she was. It was one thing to lure in scum to their own deaths, like a lamb to the slaughter but this trooper had friends very close by. I shook my head and stood up. Leaving the general area of my ship into the small side area I used as a bedroom. My bed stuck out like a sore thumb. My dresser sat on the wall that would lead into the kitchen. I could see FX's hulk behind a counter. His light was dark and probably disabled for now.

I pulled out my open pack of cigarettes and lit one and sat on my bed. I grabbed a book I'd been trying to read for a year and a half. I got three sentences in when I heard the movement of heavy armor. I looked up as the trooper rounded the corner.

"More to say, have you?" I asked mischieviously.

"I detected something awry in the air quality and I came to make sure it wasn't a malfunction." He said. It was a lame excuse but it was kind of cute.

"You're just dying to have a conversation with me aren't you?" I asked.

"A little more than just a conversation if you prefer my honesty." He said. I smiled but it fell remembering the problem in the bathroom. I looked at the bathroom door with a look of contemplation.

"Perhaps your droid could babysit?" The trooper suggested. I smiled.

~WARNING: LEMON AHEAD~

A broom closet seemed to be the pinnacle of the classiest places I'd ever fucked. It was cramped for sure. Especially with the extra space taken up by the armor. I sat myself on a metal shelf, surprised it held my weight so easily.

The man flipped off his helmet, I was not surprised to see masculine features. I was slightly surprised, however, to notice his eyes were green. Not just his irises but the entire eye was deep green. A Zelosian.

"Since when did they recruit non-humans to be troopers?" I asked jokingly. He looked at me impressed.

"Not many notice that. You're pretty sharp eyed." He grinned. "I don't see many other Zelosians."

"With that helmet I doubt you see much of anything." I smirked. He grinned a toothy grin and shoved the helmet on a shelf and advanced toward me.

"I saw you." He pointed out. He didn't have far to go and he was between my legs in a single step.

"Don't make this cheesy." I scolded. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to the edge of the shelf. I had sat on a low shelf that was a perfect height by the luck of the gods.

"How do you plan on getting yourself out of that mess?" I asked genuinely curious about him getting out of the white armor. He gave a cheeky grin and backed out of my reach. I watched to see how this was going to happen.

"I'll make you a deal, If you can get out of that in under a minute I'll blow you." I offered. He gave me an excited look.

"You're going to regret that." He said. I laughed.

"Sir I'm getting laid today. I really don't think I will." I said seriously. He gave me a cocky smile and before I could be impressed the armor was not only off but neatly put upon the shelving.

"That's pretty impressive." I admitted. A little sorry I didn't get a strip tease. "But according to the clock it took you a minute and three seconds. Not quite under a minute." His face fell but perked up again.

"Well I could still get lucky." He said.

"I think you are getting lucky. Especially if you don't get caught." I pointed out. "I can't imagine what the protocol is but I'm sure it isn't giving rides to mechanics and shagging them in the closets."

"Fair." He pointed out. He stepped in between my legs again this time much closer. His arms trailing up my sides and to my shoulders. His torso flat against mine. He leaned in and gently kissed me.

I wasn't much of the slow and sweet type. Not one for memorable love-making and more for a hurried and fast fuck. To prove this point I wrapped my leg around his waist and pulled him in. Wrapping my arms around him more tightly and pressing him against me. I thrust against him a few times to try and get the point across.

He made a small noise and became more forceful. Digging into my shoulders and grinding against me while biting my lower lip. He was quickly warming up, I was going to take this as a new lesson on living plants. I didn't realize they were warm blooded but to my surprise there was a very warm and pulsing thickness against me.

I yanked off the undershirt he was wearing and he pulled off mine. He went straight for my neck and bit it. Not roughly but teasingly. Threatening. I raked my nails up his spine and I felt him shiver. Even I had broken out into goosebumps at the feel of his hands forcefully massaging my breasts.

He grabbed my pants suddenly, his nails raking against my hips. I gave a cry of surprise and pain. He yanked my waistband down and I scooted along with them at first. I grabbed the shelf above the one I was sitting on to steady myself and he attached himself to my collarbone. Licking and sucking, trying to produce a hickey no doubt. He somehow got my pants and boots off. Pushing them aside. No longer being pulled from my perch I reseated myself and began pushing at his thick black pants. Probably intended to keep the armor from cutting him.

He gave a small whine as he kicked off his pants. Diving back up to kiss me forcefully. I was so turned on by this point I was over foreplay. He was still just teasing me by grinding against me despite the fact we were both naked. I pulled away and licked my fingers. Intent to finish myself if he wasn't going to. He watched with open fascination as I touched myself. I moaned lustfully as I pleasured myself. The small closet getting warmer and warmer. I twitched and bucked as I felt myself getting closer and closer.

He shook and shivered and came closer to me. Biting my shoulder and sucking on it while he pushed himself against me. The slight pain of penetration brought me down from my high and I gave an irritated growl for it. He gave a whine and pushed further. He grabbed my hips and began an uneven tempo. Not that I cared. The feeling turned to pleasure quickly, especially while I was still roughly circling my clit. He moaned steadily, I couldn't keep the small noises from escaping.

I was displeased when there was no moisture left on my fingers. I gave a grunt of irritation and lifted my hand up to lick my fingers again quickly. He stopped me by grabbing my hand pulling it to his mouth and sucking on them for a few moments. He let them go with a look of seduction, I pulled him forward into a hot, rough kiss. Going back to rubbing my clit and teasing myself higher.

We broke apart but kept our faces pressed together. Panting and moaning. I cried out and spasmed as I hit my climax. I moved both of my hands up to his shoulders as his pace quickened. He grunted, trying to catch up with me. He gasped and practically screamed as he came. We both panted and shivered in the afterglow.

 **~End of Lemon~**

I strut into the bathroom to find Mai'mu still hiding out inside of it.

"Scoot it kid, I'm taking a shower." I said monotonously. Mai'mu stared at me accusingly.

"You were being nasty weren't you?" She said lowly.

"Yup." I nodded. Turning on the water and adjusting the heat.

"You're gross." Mai'mu spat. I stripped off my shirt but paused to look at Mai'mu.

"Kid I had sex I wasn't sacrificing infants to demons, fucking chill!" I scoffed. I slid out of my pants and hopped in the shower. Not bothered in the least that the girl hadn't left the bathroom. I washed off all the sweat and mess that came with sex and washed my hair.

"Nina." Mai'mu's tiny voice came from outside the shower curtain.

"What." I snapped. "And don't call me that while we're on this ship."

"I don't like being on this ship." She muttered.

"It'll be over soon." I said. "Just relax and stay in the bathroom if it makes you feel better,"

"You promise they won't take me?" She asked.

"I promise they'll have to go through me first." I promised honestly. I didn't think about what would happen if just one force sensitive was on this ship. I could hide my presence but Mai'mu couldn't. She just didn't know how.

"Aayla. When we leave this ship remind me to teach you something very, very important."


End file.
